New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-09
HENRY VaRD BEECHER.

couptries-has been heavily depleted by his
death. He was man Of heroic stature,
and whether for good or for i'll has
exerted o mighty influence upon his coun-
try and his time. By profession
preacher, by nature he was an orator; and at
every stage of his career Nature dominated over
profession and claimed him as her own. 1t was
always the orator who preached; and the man
was greatest when he did not preach, but stood
before a popular assemblage to plead patriotic
cause with fervid elOquence, to denOunce with
fiery invective oppression and wrong and to
move to laughter or tears with flashes of humor
or pathos thousands who were swayed
BY bis own passionate nature. In the
resources Of stately diction, In
analytical power and lucid exposition, and
in the moral dignity of sustained elOQueuce, he
was excelled by Everett. Philips and Sumner;
but in tho art of mastering the emotions and
exciting the enthusiasm of an audience he has
been without superior among Americans of
this generation.
The eliminating point of Mr.. Beecher's
career was his appearance before angry Eng
lish mobs in Liverpool and Manchester to de-
fend the cause of the American Union. 1t
was q grave crisis in tho fortunes of his
country and tho voice OF this brave and elO-
ouent tribune was heard by sOrdl1 foes
and hating friends ringing ont as solemn ms a
prophets IN denunciati0n OF slavery and dis
union. This was his crowning service to the
Nation Throughout the war ne was tower
of strength to the Union cause. His soul in
those days fairly famed with patriotic ardor
and devotion. Not less noble had been his
championship of an enslaved race. III not
among the earliest he was among the most
active and influential of the pioneers of abon-
ton. Plymouth Church became under his
ministrations fortress and defence Tor negro
bondmen. Its political gospel, unlike its creed
and dogmas, originally bore the authoritative
stamp of the highest orthodoxy. 1t was Cos
pel preached by an apostle of the rights of man.
Mr. Beccher in his later years became as
heterodox in politics as in theo ogy. He
who had been the champion of the hunted
slave was the defender and apoogist of po-
litIcal party which by intimidation and robbery
had despoiled an enfranchised race Of its civil
rights.
Mr. Beecher's chief work in his profession
WAS the liberation of religious thought from
theological trammels and conventional ideas
the man. and it was impressed upon the gospel
which he preached. 1t was gospel of human
ity, charity, tolerance and good will 1t was a
gospel tending to promote sturdy feeling of
on the part of the church and
the individual believer. 1t was preaching
surcharged with sentiment and was ex-
posed to the destructive criticism OF being so
wild and elusive in its expressions and ten
denotes as to degenerate at times into yulgarty
and gush. At the same time 1t WAS preaching
that enlarged the domain of religious in
telligence, broke down the barriers bctwce
denominations and liberated human judgment.
1t was preaching wonderful ly successful in its
own field. Plymouth Church rapidly became
great power in the community, with multiplied
agencies for local mission work ana noble
array Of munifcent charities The In
fuence of the preacher was far greater
than that of the powerful church which he
built up around him. He not only emancipated
religious thought, but he even gave direction
to the current methods Of preaching. He
showed what power could be exercised by ex-
temporaneous preaching, when 1t came from
full heart and well equipped mind. lie en-
couragcd by his example hundreds of preachers
to become more human in the pulpit, to re-
nounce conventional ideas of then calling, to
discard what Mr.. Gladstone once contempt
uously described as the dialect and slang of re-
ligiOn and to speak as men to their fellow -men.
with a noble earnestness, swayed by magma
ton and deep feeling.
What has been written above might have
been written twelve years ago. and
the tribute to Mr.. Beechers Oratory,
patriotism and genus as preacher
would have been generally accepted as one in
which all Americans might heartily concur.
Unfortunately for his fame, the record of his life
was not closed at time when his reputation
for integrity and purity had been unchalenged
The trnth must be plainly stated. MIR. Beecber's
moral influence has greatly declined since the
Brooklyn trial. We say this without assump-
ton of his guilt or innocence, and have no de
sire to revive issues which, happily, are passing
out of public remembrance, nor to give friend or
foe any occasion for renewal of argument. But
the sOrrOwiul fact remains that Plymouth
pulpit has been declining power in the
land since that trial closed. The judgment of
the press of this community and of the coun
try was heavily against him, and the influence
of the preacher obviously waDed. He battled
against his tate with despairing courage, but he
never regained the shattered confidence of the
country. The old music and sweetness were in
the tones of that wonderful voice; but the faith
which had once responded to it was dumb. Ii
was preaching without its Oldtime pOwer-a
rare treat for curious spectators, but far less
a source of hope and inspiration to the Ameri-
can people,
Mr.. Bcecher in his old age longed for sud-
den death-one that would find him. as he used
TO say. with harness on, working with all his
might Death has come to him in the form
he craved, but while it has been painless as
sleep, and has found him with powers of mind
uniInpaircd and with natural force undated.
it has not been so sudden as to leave the city
Of his love wholly unprcparcd for ii. The